Ring binder



May 15, 1939- c. c. cRUzAN 2,158,056

' RING BINDER Filed July 1s, 195e J0 l l i CHARLES C'. CRY/IAN PatentedMay 16, 1939 UNITED STATESA PATENT OFFICE RING BINDER Application July18, 1936, Serial No. 91,289

11 Claims.

This invention relates to loose-leaf binders of the split-ring type.

Special objects of the invention are to provide a 1 safe, strong ringbinder, which can be easily 5f? opened and closed and securely held inboth the open and the closed positions, which will not accidently snapclosed, to the injury of fingers or papers andrwhich on the other hand,will not open I and release the pages if accidentally dropped or thelike, and which furthermore, with all such advantages, will be ofrelatively simple and inexpensive construction.

Theabove mentioned desirable objects are attained by the novel featuresof construction, comibinations and relations of parts hereinafterdescribed, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and covered in theclaims.

In the drawing, the invention is disclosed in one practical embodiment,but it will be under- !lstood that. the actual physical structure may bemodified and changed in various Ways all within the true spirit andscope of the invention,

Fig, 1 is a broken plan viewshowing an embodiment of the Vbinder in anintermediate or partly .lopen position.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged broken and part lsectional view showing the binderin closed position.

Fig-.3 is apart sectional and end view of the binder in closedcondition.

Fig. 4 is agenerally similar View showing'the binder fullyfopened.

In the` several views, the cooperating ring constituting elements aredesignated l, and are shown as being attached to and carried by baseplates or levers 8, having hinging engagement within the inturned edgeflanges 9, of the resilient channel shaped back member IIJ.

The inner opposing edges of the ring carrying plates 8, are shown asnotched at II, to receive Vthe notched portions I2, of the intermediatecouplers or connecting links I3. These links are rshown as havingparallel sided guiding projections I4, operating through guide slots I5,in the cover plate I6, secured in arched relation over ffthe concaveface of the back plate.

Bridge plates Il, engaged by flanges 9 of the back plate at oppositesides of the ring hinge plates 8, carry bearings I8, for a rock shaftI9, having cam or crank portions 20, engaged in the *transverse slots 2I, in the connecting or equalizing links' I3.

A crank handle 22, at one end of the rock shaft I9, provides convenientmeans for operating the same and this handle may 'overlie the end bridgeA'piece Il, as in Fig. 2, so that the latter will serve as a stop tolimit'the turning movement of the rock shaft in either direction.

With the parts in the position shown in Figs. 2 and 3, that is, with theintermediate connecting link retracted and held so by the inwardlyturned crank 20, the ring elements'areLrocked together and held so b-ythe approximate dead center posi'- tion of thecrank. The binder'ringisthus locked against opening andcan only be released by turning the handcrank in the right-handed direction indicated by the arrow 23, in Fig.3.

Similarly, when the handle 22 is rocked all the Way to the right as inFig. 4, the crank 20`will stand approximately in the upper dead centerposition, locking the ring forming elements in theV open relation shown.

The hinge plates 8 of the ring elements form'in'A effect leverageextensionsrat the'lbases of thesev ring elements, enabling theintermediate connect ingvlink-to forcibly rock the ring elementsopeir`and closed with relatively small effort applied to' the hand crank 22.In coming-to the cl'osedre-V lation illustrated in Fig. 3,- the-tips ofthe ringv forming members may come together before the crank reaches theends of its throw, in which event, the supportingplate or plates Il, maybe sprung upward slightly substantially as indicated in this view, toadd a certain spring force tending" to hold the rings closed and tocompensate for such slight variation in size of parts as may occur inproduction manufacture.

The various parts of the device are rugged and the simple hand crank 22,the end of shaft I9 may be finished off with an angular head adapted tobe turned only by a key of that particular cross-A The terms employedherein thereforeV section.r v are to be considered as used in adescriptive rather than in a limiting sense, except possibly" aslimitations may be requiredV by state of the' prior art. Y

What is claimed is: 1. A ring binder, comprising end-to-en'd oparotative member having a crank portionv operatively engaged with saidlink, cooperating binder ring constituting elements carried by saidleversA and guide means slidingly confining said vlink to straight inand out movement between theY op-V posed in'ner'ends of said levers;

2. A ring binder, comprisingY cooperating bind- Ysiii .45* posed leverspivotally supported atr their outer ends, a link loosely interposedbetween and pivotally connecting the inner ends vof said levers,

er ring constituting elements, hi'ngedl'y suppoit-Y ed and havingopposed leverage extensions, a link interposed between said leverageextensions, said link and leverage extensions having interlockingnotched engagement with notched portions in l opposite edges of saidlink engaged in notched Vplate and cover plate, a supporting platebetween portions in opposed inner edges of said leverage extensions,means for guiding said link in a straight in and out movement and arotary member having a crank portion engaged with said link.

3. A ring binder, comprising cooperating binder ring constitutingelements, hingedly supported and having opposed leverage extensions, alink interposed between saidleverage extensions, said link and leverageextensions having interlocking notched engagement, a rotary memberhaving a crank portion vengaged with said link and a guide for confiningsaid link to rectilinear movement.

4. A ring binder, comprising pivotally supported cooperating binder ringconstituting elements having opposed base portions notched in theiropposing edges, an intermediate link having notched opposite edgesentered in the notches of the base portions of the ring constitutingelements and a rotatively mounted member having a crank portion engagedwith said link.

5. A ring binder comprising a channel shaped back having edge flanges, asupporting plate in said back and held by said edge flanges, opposedlevers rockingly held at their outer ends by said edge flanges, a rockshaft pivotally'mounted on said supporting plate and having a crankportion vadjacent the inner ends of said oppositely dis-A posed levers,a link connecting the inner ends of said levers and `engaged on thecranked portion of said rock shaft and binder ring constituting elementscarried byV said levers.

- 6. A ring binder comprising cooperating back said back plate and coverplate, a rock shaft journaledvon said supporting plate, opposed leversbetween said back plate and cover plate and pivotally supported at theirouter ends, binder ring Y constituting elementsprojecting from saidlevers,

Y meniber interposed between and having notched opposite edges engagedover the inner ends of said levers for spacing said levers in rockingengagement with said supporting flanges and for coupling the inner endsof said levers together and thereby requiring the same to rock inunison, cooperating binder ring constituting elementsV projecting fromsaid levers, supporting means bridging said flanges at the side of saidrocking levers and a rock shaft journalled on said l supporting meansand extending longitudinally of said binder substantially at a rightangle to the plane of said binder ring constituting elements, said rockshaft having a cranked portion adjacent the inner ends of saidoppositely disposed levers and extending through said coupling memberfor effecting in and out movement of the same necessary to rock thelevers for relatively opening and closing the binder ring constitutingelements.

8. A ring binder, comprising end-to-end opposed levers, a membercoupling the inner ends of said levers together and thereby requiringthe same to rock in unison, cooperating binder ring constitutingelements projecting from said levers and a rock shaft extendinglongitudinally of said binder substantially at a right angle to theplane y of said binder ring constituting elements, said rock shafthaving a cranked portion adjacent the inner ends of said oppositelydisposed levers and extending through said coupling member for effectingin and out movement of the same necessary to rock the levers forrelatively opening and closing the binder ring constituting elements,said rock shaft having an oscillating movement sufficient to carry thecranked portion to approximate dead center positions at the inner endouter limits of movement of the coupling member and resilient means foryieldingly retaining said rock shaft in said approximate dead centerpositions.

9. A ring binder, comprising end-to-end opposed levers, a membercoupling the inner ends of said levers together and thereby requiringthe same to rock in unison, cooperating binder ring constitutingelements projecting from said levers and a rock shaft extendinglongitudinally of said binder substantially at a right angle to theplane of said binder ring constituting elements, said rock shaft havinga cranked portion adjacent the inner ends of said oppositely disposedlevers andv extending through said coupling member forvef-e fecting inand out movement of the same necessary to rock the levers for relativelyopening and closing the binder ring constituting elements and a coverplate over said levers and intermediate coupling member, said couplingmember having a portion operating through said cover plate as` a guide.

l0. A ring binder, comprising a channelshaped back having edge flanges,opposed levers rockingly held at their outer ends by said edge flanges,coupling members interposed between the inner opposed ends of saidrocking-'levers and holding said levers spread apart in rocking`engagement with said edge flanges, supporting elements bridging thechannel-shaped back at opposite sides of the rocking levers andsupported by said edge flanges and a crank shaftjournalled on saidsupporting elements and having Vcranked portions extending through saidcoupling members for effecting movement of the latter to rock saidopposed levers in binder ring opening and closing movements.

11. A ring binder, comprising a channel-shaped back having edge flanges,opposed levers rockingly held at their outer ends by said edge flanges,coupling members interposed between the inner opposed ends of saidrocking levers and holding said levers spread apart in rockingengagement with said edge flanges, supporting elements bridging thechannel-shaped back at opposite sides of the rocking levers andsupported by said edge flanges and a crank shaft journalled on saidsupporting elements and having cranked portions extending through saidcoupling members for effecting movement of the latter to rock saidopposed levers in binder ring opening and closing movements bers.

Y 'CHARLES C. CRUZAN.

